Whisper of Suffering

by Samantha Jacobey

  Staring at him, a slight breeze rustled her hair. Catching the long strands, she smoothed it as she considered how the fear had stayed with him, even as he had become a man. “I’m sorry, I thought you guys were just making up all these stories you’ve been telling. I didn’t think any of them were real.”

  “Well, not all of them,” he flushed in the failing light, noticing a row of clouds forming on the thin line between the sky and the sea. Glaring at it, he pointed, “Is that a storm?”

  Turning to follow his gaze, the others studied the dark patch on the horizon. The stars and moon provided light during the night, but the thick clouds blocked them out, and a flash of light arched within it.

  “I think it might be!” Piers said with a smidge of excitement. “Hopefully it will come this way, and we can at least replenish the water. Better leave the top open when we turn in tonight.”

  His vigor renewed at the prospect of at least something going their way, Rey grinned. “Anyway, back to my story. I didn’t know much about the dragons at the time. All I knew was that I was at the bottom of the line as far as inheriting my parents’ farm, so when I got old enough, I lit out of there and have never been back. I joined up on a ship as the cabin boy and did that for a few years, until I got the spot on the crew…” His voice trailed away as he realized none of them were listening.

  They were all transfixed, staring into the distance. The stars disappeared as the rolling darkness approached, and the flashes of lightning danced through the thunderheads. “That’s going to be one hell of a squall,” he observed more quietly. “You don’t suppose that’s the dragon’s storm, do you?” he asked tentatively.

  “I doubt it,” the Mate informed him with a shake of his head. “Was that it? On your story?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I heard lots of sailors talk about the dragons on the ship, though, even if it was considered bad luck. They say they are woman haters. They never bring a woman on board because that makes them angry and that’s why they sink ships,” he finished in a quiet voice as he studied the girl next to him, considering if it were true. “At least the ones along the western rim,” he clarified.

  “I heard the same thing,” Bally agreed with a firm nod. “I don’t recall ever having a woman on the ship before, so I don’t really know. Of course, our ship never sank before, either.”

  “You two,” Piers shushed them with a shake of his head. “Can’t you leave the girl alone for at least one night?” He tried to play it off, as if the pair had been having more fun at Ami’s expense, but deep down, he had to wonder. He had heard many a story of the like, and he feared that it had been exactly that which had cost his crew their lives.

  He did know one thing for certain, and that gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his gut about the approaching storm. No captain in his right mind would ever allow a woman aboard his ship as part of the crew while he sailed the western seas. Call it an old sailor’s tale or not, having a female on board was always considered bad luck for the ship, as much or more so than talking about the dragons, and this time it had certainly turned out that way.

  Not Amused

  Sitting on their bag, Ami rested her lid on top of her head and balanced it with the back of her barrel. Her fingers gripping the rim, she leaned her nose against her knuckles and glared at the approaching tempest. Part of her felt relief at the coming storm. It was new and different, and they had not had anything new or different since the first morning after the ship sank.

  However, the idea of being rocked by the waves and wind horrified her. She had been aboard one ship in her entire life, and it now lay in pieces on the bottom of the sea. This vessel, if she used the term loosely, hardly qualified as sound. “I think we’re going to sink,” she stated quietly.

  Standing in his empty cask, Piers took charge. “See that the ropes are secure,” he ordered, rechecking those within his reach.

  Almost certain the chore was a ploy to calm the woman among them, Rey leaned over the side of his barrel as well, fidgeting with the knots and giving them a shake. A loud crack of thunder boomed behind him, and he pivoted and dropped back into his slot simultaneously, pulling his lid slowly into place to cover him. Cutting his eyes over at the girl, he could see her green orbs as wide as a pair of full moons in the dim glow.

  “Relax, Amicia,” he soothed, his voice trembling even as he tried to sound brave. Diagonally across from him, Baldwin closed his lid completely, hiding inside the barrel from what could be nothing other than pure terror. Looking back at Amicia, he wished that they had that dinghy, or anything really, that he could hold her through the storm.

  “Ami,” he repeated more calmly.

  “I’m fine,” she snapped, her white knuckles gripping the edge as the rain pelted their lids in a sudden explosive downpour.

  Watching the barrel in the center, Rey sighed. At least the water will fill up at this rate, or he hoped that it would. They had no real collector, other than the barrel itself; no way to gather run off and funnel it in, so it would have to do.

  Eventually growing tired of the spectacle, he noted that Piers and Ami had both closed their lids and were presumably snuggled inside. Pulling his shut, he gave the rope handle in the center a firm tug, ensuring that it had seated and sealed completely before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

  Or at least he thought he had been asleep. When he opened his eyes some time later, no rays of sun greeted him from his air holes. Instead, he felt damp, chilled, and cramped in the small space.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to wish it away by sleeping a bit longer, but the pitch and roll of their craft indicated actual waves crested outside, another new development they had not encountered before. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, he knew at least some light had to be filtering in, and he decided that the sun had risen, even if he couldn’t see or feel it.

  Pushing up on his lid, he peeked out to see his three companions all stayed in. “Hey, guys!” he called loudly.

  “What?” the Mate shouted back, not bothering to open his.

  “I think the sun’s up,” he hollered. “Should we get up?”

  “Well, it may be up, but it ain’t out,” Bally replied in a muffled voice. “It’s fucking freezing in here.”

  In her bucket, Ami began to laugh in spite of herself. “That’s what you get for trying to scare me with all your dragon tales!” she called, taunting him through their thin walls.

  Piers joined in the chuckle for a few minutes before he settled down, thinking more clearly. “We should just stay put,” he informed them. “Stay dry the best you can, and don’t open your lids unless you have to.”

  “Aye, sir,” Rey agreed, closing his and pulling it into place.

  In her barrel, Ami had the food, and she suddenly wished they had each gotten a share before they closed up for the storm. She felt guilty that the others wouldn’t be able to eat. After considering the issue, her nausea pushed her, and she realized that she really didn’t have a choice. If she didn’t put a little something in her belly she was going to be sick.

  Opening the pack and finding a ration of meat, she called, “Does anyone else want a bit to eat? I’ll have to eat something, or I’ll vomit.”

  “No, I don’t need anything, but you’re going to need this cup,” Piers informed her from across the way. “You can’t eat without getting a drink. Rey, here, pass this over to her.” Poking the metal vessel out through a thin slot, he waited for the other man to take it.

  “Got it,” Rey replied, accepting the offering. “Ami, I’ll take a chunk,” he announced, since his arm would be wet from passing the cup anyways.

  Making the trade, Ami stood, quickly scooping a drink from down in the barrel and sitting again in a matter of seconds, but long enough to be soaked in the downpour. “Wow, it’s really coming down!” she updated them over the sound of the water hitting her lid.

  “How full is the water barrel?” Piers inquired.

  “About half,” she replied with a smil
e. “If this keeps up, we’ll get a full barrel back out of it for sure.”

  “Well, that’s some good news,” he grimaced, shifting the best he could but unable to stretch. At some point, he knew he was going to have to stand, and then he would be wet and miserable until the sun came out and pardoned them from the deluge. One thing was for certain; he had discovered that being on the ocean without the minimal comfort of a ship was no fun at all.

  After she had eaten, Ami passed the cup back to Rey, so he could also have his fill. His belly satisfied, he tried to make the best of it, rationalizing that his wet shirt was worth getting each of them the drink and the snack. He managed to fall asleep and dozed through the drum of water on his small round roof. The first thing he noticed when he awoke for the second time was the silence.

  Pushing his lid open once more, the heavy downpour had waned, but a slow drizzle had taken its place. “Well, it’s not raining. But it’s not dry,” he muttered, removing the cover and standing for a stretch and a piss over the side.

  Hearing his friend moving around, Bally joined him, followed by the first mate. When Ami didn’t stir, he knocked on her barrel, calling loudly, “You all right in there?”

  “I’m fine,” she sighed, having already been up and balanced on the edge for a pee herself as soon as the rain had stopped, more or less. Opening only a crack, she asked, “You guys want your share now?”

  “I’ll take mine,” Baldwin agreed, accepting it eagerly.

  Handing Piers his, Ami came out into the moist air, which added extra frizz to her wild mane. “How long do you think the fog will last?”

  “No idea,” the Mate chuckled. “It’s pretty thick. I’ve only seen it this heavy a few times, myself.”

  “Wonderful,” she sighed, sitting back down and covering her head with the lid, as if it were going to help.

  “Are you ready for a story?” he asked, seeing her worn spirits getting the better of her.

  “Are you telling it?” she asked, prepared to say no if she had to hear anything else about fire-breathing monsters and scorched cattle.

  “Aye, I’ll tell one,” he grinned. “You wanted to know about me becoming a sailor, didn’t you?”

  “Heard it,” she grinned. “You said it was your only option after you couldn’t make it as a blacksmith.”

  “Aye, that part is true,” he agreed, lowering his chin to give her a twisted glare as he smiled enticingly. “But I didn’t really tell you about my family. It’s a sad story, really, and I think this weather suits it.” His mood shifted, and the grin disappeared as a grave expression replaced it, giving the impression whatever he would divulge held great importance; at least to him.

  “Sounds sensational,” she sneered. “By all means, tell us your dreary tale,” she encouraged jokingly. The look on his face caused her breath to grow shallow, and she hid her discomfort behind a small giggle.

  “Well,” he began, glancing at the other two men as he leaned against the edge of his barrel and ignored the drizzle. Rubbing his hands together quickly, he crossed his arms and stated calmly, “Let me start at the beginning, since they haven’t heard any of it. I grew up in Palmeto, which I’m fairly certain you’ve heard of.”

  “I have,” Rey agreed, equally conscious of the tale’s importance to the man before him, if his demeanor were any indication. “That’s one of the largest trade towns on the eastern coast.”

  “Sure is!” Bally agreed, perking up, as usual oblivious to the somber mood of his entertainer or the apprehension of the others. “Super rich from what I hear –”

  “Yes,” Piers cut him off, nodding firmly. “It is a wealthy township. Tens of thousands of people live there, and many more gather there to sell their wares. My family was what you might call… aristocratic.” He allowed the word to hang in the air. When it had sunk in sufficiently, he cut his eyes over at the girl and added, “I’m the governor’s son.”

  “The governor’s son!” the other three gasped in unison.

  Holding up his palm, he calmed them, “Yes, only I haven’t admitted it in over twenty years. Not to anyone.” Staring at Ami across from him, his brown orbs bore into her clear green eyes. Regret swimming in the windows to his soul, he wondered again if his life would have been any different if he had met someone like her as a younger man.

  “So, as you can imagine, I never wanted for anything,” he continued with a loud exhale of air. “I had servants and chambermaids at my beck and call, and I was rather popular among them, if you understand my meaning,” he grinned, giving Rey a wink.

  “Yeah, I get it,” Reynard agreed with a smirk, followed by a peek at the girl who had turned the storyteller down and had more or less promised to save herself for him before the ship sank and spoiled their plans.

  “Aye, so I had it made. I’m the oldest, and I was groomed from the time I was born to take my father’s place when the time came. Only, I wasn’t happy with that. I was bored and angry, and pretty much made an ass of myself every chance that I got. Anything that my parents wanted, I made sure I did the opposite. Over time, they grew tired of my insolence. To put it mildly, they were not amused with me and my wayward mindset. That’s when I informed them I wanted to be a blacksmith,” he said with a chuckle.

  Ami sat up straighter, recalling what he had said about his apprenticeship. “They let you?” she asked quietly, conflicted by what he had shared.

  “Let is hardly the word,” he laughed, wafting a hand through the air. “They paid for my place at a local shop, and I was apprenticed to the smithy there for three years. The work was brutal, and needless to say, my lesson was learned. At the end of my term, I went to my father, hat in hand so to speak. I was ready to take my place as his successor,” he said quietly, his face drawn in obvious pain.

  “Oh, Piers,” she sighed, leaning forward as if she could reach him. Gripping the side of her barrel, she waited for the rest.

  “Aye,” he nodded slowly. “He turned me away. Said I had made my choice, and that I was a blacksmith. Of course, I had only done it to spite them, but it was too late for that. They had disowned me, and my younger brother will be his successor any time now from what I hear.”

  “You haven’t been back?” Bally demanded, still in shock that the Mate held real power.

  “No, I’ve never returned,” Piers continued quietly, slowly shaking his head side to side. “When they cast me out, all I had was the shop, but I hated the work. I hated the fire and sweat, and so I simply left. I took a post on board a vessel as a cabin boy, and away I went,” his hands waved in the air, as if they were a ship taking sail, and he ended with a loud laugh.

  “You’re right. The weather does suit this story,” Amicia sighed, glancing around at the three men. “What a horrible way to end up as a sailor!”

  “Aw, it wasn’t so bad,” he added, continuing to grin. “I’ve enjoyed it for the most part. It gets a bit lonely now and then, but I’ve lived my own life. One that I’m happy with in the grander scheme of things.”

  Glaring at him, Ami wasn’t so sure. She heard remorse in his voice, no matter how much he wanted to cover it. “I’m so sorry, Piers,” she sympathized with a furrowed brow.

  “Really, love, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he insisted, adjusting himself in his tube anxiously as he was not ready to sit. “But as I said, I have never shared that story with anyone, so I would appreciate it if you kept it between us… if and when we make it back to civilization,” he requested, glancing at each in turn.

  Swallowing, Ami thought about her own parents, or would be parents, such as they were, and how her life had turned out. She could fully agree, there were things from her past she would rather remained private. And Rey, with his burned cows and no inheritance, she considered wearily. “We make a fine lot, don’t we,” she said aloud.

  “Hey, it could be worse,” Bally defended. “We have each other. All of us here, like we were all meant to be. Don’t worry, Mate. Your lordship is safe with us.” He laughed,
and the older man grinned back, shaking his head slightly.

  “We do have each other,” Amicia agreed. His words tickled in the back of her mind, strumming the familiar chord she had come to accept. “The place where we belong,” she translated, her gaze meeting the older man’s as she did.

  “Exactly,” Piers agreed with a nod. “Maybe we’re all headed to that place, together. On The Bobber!” he shouted, spreading his arms wide as his laughter echoed through the fog.

  Shaking her head, the girl smiled as she slunk down into her tube and called, “Well, I hope we get there before we all starve to death. For now, I’m going back to sleep.”

  Watching her pull the top on over her, Piers glanced at the other two men. “I think she’s right. A bit more rest would be in order.”

  “We’re marooned in the middle of the ocean,” Rey laughed, ready to secure his lid, “all we do is lay around and rest.”

  “Fair enough,” their leader sighed, working his way into his tube and wishing it were just a few inches larger at any rate. “But I’m sure all this rest will come in handy once we get on shore,” he added, certain any place they landed would have its own obstacles to be faced.

  Endless Water

  Clinging to Ami’s barrel, Piers stood thigh high in water, his feet supporting him on the edge of their base beneath their floating shelter. Sitting inside, her legs tucked beneath her, her head rested against her arm and hand as she gripped the edge. “Breathe, love,” he instructed, stroking her mass of hair.

  “I’m breathing,” she retorted, not moving as she spoke.

  “Come on,” he coaxed. “Let’s brush out your hair and tie it up for you.” He had watched Rey do this for her several times, and she always felt better afterwards.

  “No.”

  Her flat response a punch in the gut, he felt it to his core. Glancing at the other two men, they watched him as he fawned over her, their eyes sullen as they glared at the spectacle.